Flower Mound Leader > News
Tying the knot brings new outlook on life for Flower Mound couple
By Chris Roark, Staff Writer
As George Tillitson wheeled his walker into an activity room at Pinewood Hills Retirement Community on Wednesday, he heard loud music coming from the room.
“Why do you have the music turned up so loud?” he yelled. “Do you think we’re all deaf?”
That set off laughter from the employees in the room, and it brought out a smile from his new wife, Ola.
Ola said George’s sense of humor keeps her laughing, which is one reason she married him a week ago. Even at 91.
“When you’re 91, you need someone who is funny,” Ola said. “A sense of humor helps.”
The couple — George is 92 — wasn’t going to let age deter them from marital happiness. In fact, Ola said being married has provided the companionship that those who live in a retirement community need at this stage of their lives.
“You don’t have to look around the room to see who you’re going to sit and eat with,” Ola said. “When you’re in your 90s, you don’t have too many events. I see no point in sitting alone all the time. As long as the Lord leaves us here, He furnishes us with something constructive to do. And, we can be very helpful to each other.”
The couple shares many of the same interests, including exercising classes, bingo and getting competitive on Nintendo Wii.
At the end of the day …
“It’s nice to have someone to come home with,” George said.
The couple met about a year ago when George’s family brought him to Pinewood Hills to tour the facility. Ola had been a resident there for about a year and a half and often was the one to show newcomers or prospective residents around. The two were seated next to each other for lunch during the tour, and the rest is history.
“It wasn’t instant,” George said. “We had to look at each other two or three times first.”
Another laugh from Ola.
The couple spent the next year participating in various activities together.
“I felt like I was 16,” George said.
In mid-September, he proposed to her.
“She stole my heart, and that was the only way to get it back,” George said.
Joanne Whitaker, Ola’s daughter-in-law, said George wanted to wait until after his birthday so that he would be older than Ola.
The wedding took place Nov. 1 at Pinewood Hills with about 60 people in attendance.
“It was very nice,” Ola said. “All of the residents here were supportive and interested in helping out. This is our extended family.”
Much of the extended family is about the same age as the newlyweds, which made for a comical scene with a hallway lined with walkers.
For Ola, it was the first wedding she had planned in 70 years. She got married when she was 21, and her husband passed away 25 years ago. They had been married for about 49 years. George was married for about 60 years. His wife died two years ago.
To Ola and George, it was important that if they had the companionship they wanted, they do it the right way.
“They’re very Christian,” Whitaker said. “He’s a gentleman, so that’s how you do it. They go to church every Sunday. They’re both old-fashioned, and if you want to live together, you get married.”
Now comes the transition period. The couple said one of the biggest challenges they face is something that many newlyweds face … combining two apartments into a larger one.
“We don’t need two coffee pots, and we don’t need two toasters,” Ola said. “We just don’t have everything arranged yet.”
But, that will come in time, and George will likely keep her laughing while they figure it out.
“It’s amazing that this has put some life back into people,” Ola said. “There are people who get up and think that there are three meals in a day, and that’s it. This has helped them to see that you can get up and go live life. If someone looks at what we have done, maybe it will be a good example for them.”
“Why do you have the music turned up so loud?” he yelled. “Do you think we’re all deaf?”
That set off laughter from the employees in the room, and it brought out a smile from his new wife, Ola.
Ola said George’s sense of humor keeps her laughing, which is one reason she married him a week ago. Even at 91.
“When you’re 91, you need someone who is funny,” Ola said. “A sense of humor helps.”
The couple — George is 92 — wasn’t going to let age deter them from marital happiness. In fact, Ola said being married has provided the companionship that those who live in a retirement community need at this stage of their lives.
“You don’t have to look around the room to see who you’re going to sit and eat with,” Ola said. “When you’re in your 90s, you don’t have too many events. I see no point in sitting alone all the time. As long as the Lord leaves us here, He furnishes us with something constructive to do. And, we can be very helpful to each other.”
The couple shares many of the same interests, including exercising classes, bingo and getting competitive on Nintendo Wii.
At the end of the day …
“It’s nice to have someone to come home with,” George said.
The couple met about a year ago when George’s family brought him to Pinewood Hills to tour the facility. Ola had been a resident there for about a year and a half and often was the one to show newcomers or prospective residents around. The two were seated next to each other for lunch during the tour, and the rest is history.
“It wasn’t instant,” George said. “We had to look at each other two or three times first.”
Another laugh from Ola.
The couple spent the next year participating in various activities together.
“I felt like I was 16,” George said.
In mid-September, he proposed to her.
“She stole my heart, and that was the only way to get it back,” George said.
Joanne Whitaker, Ola’s daughter-in-law, said George wanted to wait until after his birthday so that he would be older than Ola.
The wedding took place Nov. 1 at Pinewood Hills with about 60 people in attendance.
“It was very nice,” Ola said. “All of the residents here were supportive and interested in helping out. This is our extended family.”
Much of the extended family is about the same age as the newlyweds, which made for a comical scene with a hallway lined with walkers.
For Ola, it was the first wedding she had planned in 70 years. She got married when she was 21, and her husband passed away 25 years ago. They had been married for about 49 years. George was married for about 60 years. His wife died two years ago.
To Ola and George, it was important that if they had the companionship they wanted, they do it the right way.
“They’re very Christian,” Whitaker said. “He’s a gentleman, so that’s how you do it. They go to church every Sunday. They’re both old-fashioned, and if you want to live together, you get married.”
Now comes the transition period. The couple said one of the biggest challenges they face is something that many newlyweds face … combining two apartments into a larger one.
“We don’t need two coffee pots, and we don’t need two toasters,” Ola said. “We just don’t have everything arranged yet.”
But, that will come in time, and George will likely keep her laughing while they figure it out.
“It’s amazing that this has put some life back into people,” Ola said. “There are people who get up and think that there are three meals in a day, and that’s it. This has helped them to see that you can get up and go live life. If someone looks at what we have done, maybe it will be a good example for them.”
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